Marijuana laws missing key language
Lieutenant Governor Byron Mallott signed the state marijuana regulations into law last month (01-22-16) and the state will begin accepting license applications on February 24th. But there’s a wrench in the works: the original bill fails to properly authorize background checks. Download Audio
New system will warn of big quakes – but not in Alaska
A prototype of an earthquake early warning system called Shake Alert is close to launch. Soon, West Coast residents will be able to get alerts on their cell phones a few seconds to a few minutes before a big quake strikes. But the warnings won’t cover Alaska.
How a deer can cause a plane crash
Throughout this year’s hunting season, Sitka’s airport has been contending with an unusual issue: dead deer. Carcasses have been washing up on the runway since November, attracting birds. And this has posed a big problem to business as usual. Download Audi0
As U.S. buys more guns, state agency has more dough than it can handle
The Alaska Division of Wildlife Conservation is largely funded by a federal tax on the sale of guns and ammunition, and sales nationwide are booming. But now the division may have to give back a portion of its bounty.
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Scientists say murre die-off comparable to Exxon Valdez spill
The number of dead common murres showing up on Alaska’s beaches is growing, and the scale of the die-off is now on par with the grounding of the 1989 Exxon Valdez in Price William Sound when 22,000 birds were collected.
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Marine Science Symposium – LIVEBLOG – Thursday
5:15 p.m. It's over. The Symposium concluded with the presentation of awards for the best student presentations but most of the winning students were not there, presumably back at their studies.
On Kenai, cracked K-Beach Road re-opens
Cook Inlet’s biggest recorded earthquake did little damage to infrastructure across Southcentral Alaska. And biggest damage has now been fixed up. Kalifornsky Beach Road re-opened to two-way traffic Wednesday morning.
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Marine Science Symposium – LIVEBLOG – Wednesday
3:30 p.m. -- Mark Brzezinski, the White House's point man for the Arctic, told participants at the Marine Science Symposium this afternoon that they're in a growth industry.
For one brief day, women run the U.S. Senate
In Washington, the side streets of Capitol Hill look suitable for running the Iditarod. But the U.S. Senate did meet this morning. For all of 10 minutes. Only the female senators from two northern states participated.
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Magnitude scale a poor measure of localized shaking
After an earthquake like the one that struck Cook Inlet on Sunday morning, everyone wants to know how big it was. Scientists use a magnitude scale to describe the size of an earthquake. But getting to that number is a complicated process. And it has some major limitations.
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Four homes lost to fire after Cook Inlet earthquake
A neighborhood in Kenai was evacuated after a fire and explosions caused by a natural gas leak following the magnitude 7.1 earthquake that hit Southcentral Alaska at 1:30 a.m. Sunday. Four homes were destroyed in the fire.
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Alaska soldiers talk Bergdahl, Serial podcast
But what Alaska soldiers who served with Bergdahl are saying about the case and podcast depends on who you ask.
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Murkowski sees departures, promotions of top staff
U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski today announced a slew of staff changes. Current and former employees say the timing of the multiple departures is coincidental. For those of you keeping score at home, sharpen your pencils: We'll take it from the top.
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Sen. Meyer: Savings can mitigate budget overhaul impacts
The Majority Caucus in the State Senate has one priority this year: restoring fiscal stability to Alaska. And Senate President Kevin Meyer, of Anchorage, says Permanent Fund earnings will have to be part of that mix.
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Top Army nominee says he’s not keen to cut Alaska troops
When Pentagon nominees comes before the Senate Armed Services Committee for a confirmation hearing, it’s a sure bet that Sen. Dan Sullivan will press them to rethink the announced cuts to JBER's 4-25th. Eric Fanning, nominated for Army secretary, offered little resistance.
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Supreme Court hears Alaska hovercraft case
The justices of the U.S. Supreme Court debated Wednesday morning whether the Park Service can impose its rules on rivers that flow through Alaska’s national parks and preserves.
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Rep. Tuck: Budget burden shouldn’t fall on middle class
Anchorage Rep. Chris Tuck is the minority leader in the state House. He questions whether the Governor’s budget proposal is fair for average Alaskans.
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Chenault: Balance budget with mix of cuts, new revenue
The Alaska Legislative session started today in Juneau. The Senate gaveled in at 11 a.m. and House speaker Mike Chenault started things off for the House at 1 p.m. Lawmakers have a lot of work ahead of them as they attempt to address the state’s massive budget deficit.
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Gov hopes nonpartisan politics will help cross party lines
Gov. Bill Walker is in Juneau preparing for tomorrow's start to the legislative session. Regardless of other considerations, the big challenge will be finding common ground with lawmakers over how to fix the state's large and growing budget deficit.
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Moose hunter’s land jurisdiction lawsuit goes to Supreme Court
A dispute between an Alaska boater and the National Park Service will be heard by the highest court in the country this week on Wednesday, Jan. 20. Lower courts have rejected Anchorage resident John Sturgeon’s suit challenging Park Service authority to regulate Alaska rivers, where they pass through federal conservation units.
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